CTIA Fall 2010

Pantech's only new handset this week at CTIA is the Laser. The Laser is an extremely thin slider, with both touch screen and full QWERTY keyboard.

This is one of the finer handsets I've seen from Pantech. The materials are all solid, the design is attractive, and what's not to like about a svelte figure? According to Pantech, it is the thinnest slider device in AT&T's lineup, and I am inclined to believe their claim.

Laser

AD article continues below...

At the request of Pantech, we removed most of our original hands-on shots. Pantech supplied the above press images.

The Laser has a 400x800 AMOLED display that looks fantastic. Icons, graphics, and text pop off the screen in vibrant, rich colors. Though it is a resistive display, it was one of the most responsive I've come across.

It is preloaded with a raft of social networking and messaging applications, such as Facebook and Twitter.

The slider mechanism works well, with solid and smooth action. It snapped smartly into place once pressed up about half way.

The full QWERTY keyboard underneath is flat. The buttons have almost no shape to them, making the Laser somewhat difficult to type on. Despite their lack of shape, the keys had good travel and feedback.

All the other controls — volume toggle, power button, camera key — were easy to find and use.

The Laser goes on sale at the $99 price point, and will surely be an attractive buy to the message-happy crowd.